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‘I am deeply sorry’: Craig Silvey pens 9,000-word apology for child exploitation material offences

By · Via The Guardian · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Craig Silvey pleaded guilty to distributing and possessing child exploitation material discovered on his laptop and mobile phone during a police search. Following the court's seven-month prison sentence, the author issued an extensive written statement acknowledging the betrayal of public trust. The briefing notes investigators also uncovered online communications where he discussed an interest in children with another party. Despite acknowledging his offenses, Silvey maintained his conduct stemmed from a severe mental breakdown rather than sinister intent.

Key points

  • The acclaimed Australian author acknowledged his criminal actions were completely indefen…: The acclaimed Australian author acknowledged his criminal actions were completely indefensible in a lengthy written public apology.
  • Silvey attributed his offending to severe mental health struggles, shame, and anxiety rat…: Silvey attributed his offending to severe mental health struggles, shame, and anxiety rather than an inappropriate attraction.
  • The conviction impacts a prominent literary career that included celebrated works such as…: The conviction impacts a prominent literary career that included celebrated works such as Jasper Jones and Honeybee.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The disgraced best-selling author Craig Silvey has claimed he experienced trauma as a child in a 9,000-word apology published after he was jailed for child exploitation offences.

The young adult novelist was sentenced on Monday to seven months’ imprisonment, after being charged in January and subsequently pleading guilty to distributing and possessing depraved child exploitation material.

The 44-year-old writer posted an article on his Substack titled “My Apology”.

He said that throughout his life he had always been able to find the right words, “but articulating the depth of my contrition and the enormity of my remorse feels beyond my aptitude for language”.

“I am guilty of these offences. I am appalled and mortified by my conduct, and I am deeply, profoundly sorry,” he wrote.

“I want to acknowledge that my engagement with this material is reprehensible and indefensible.

“It is re-traumatising to victims, and perpetuates a cycle of harm.”

Silvey, a father of three, said he betrayed the trust of thousands of people across the country, including those who had read his books, many of whom reacted to his…

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